Youth Scene

June 18, 2011

Dick's wins Majors title

The Dick's Sporting Goods team scored an 8-4 victory over Arch Bay to capture the Newport Beach Little League Majors Division championship.

Dick's pitcher Neil Ontiveros ended the game with three strikeouts. Ontiveros also produced an infield single in the final inning to load the bases with two outs and the score tied, 4-4. Shaun Nielson singled in two runs and Grant Joyce followed with another single that scored two. David Berman, who was hit by a pitch, Mark Tenney, who doubled, and Ryan Burgoyne, who was intentionally walked, scored runs for Dick's.

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Arch Bay trailed, 3-0, after two innings, but Will O'Connor and Sam Kobrine provided hits that drove in runs.

— Nick Sherman

RDM grabs AAA title

Losing its first-round playoff game didn't stop the top-seeded RDM baseball team from winning the Newport Beach Little League AAA championship. In fact, it inspired the RDM team to adopt "Never give up," as its team slogan for the remainder of its six-game playoff win streak to cap the AAA championship in extra innings and finish with an overall 17-4-1 record.

Double plays from leadoff hitter Will "The Thrill" Cruttenden, Griffin Snider and Matthew McMillen were made at critical points in the game. McMillens' double play came in the bottom of the seventh in the championship game with the bases loaded.

It was an incredible heads up play and enormous lift that propelled a two-run rally in the eigth inning for the lead and ultimately the championship to allow for the team's stopper Brandel Turner to close it out for RDM.

During the six-game win streak, pitchers Gabe Katz, John Humphreys, Brandel Turner and Cade Overfelt contributed largely allowing just over four runs per game.

The offense was strong averaging nine runs in the streak as hitters Adam Watson had a two-for-two performance, while Ryan Machoskie had a grand slam to tie the game in the sixth inning of the semifinal game. Arguably the play of the year for the RDM squad.

Defense was a huge factor for the champions as great plays by fielders Garth Blumenthal, Grant Sanchez and Tommy Chila helped in the team effort.

— Brent Overfelt

Verizon takes home AA title

The Verizon team overcame a seven-run deficit to pull off an incredible 13-12 win in extra innings over Plum District in the Newport Beach Little League AA title game.